


The Foxes breakdown in Henrietta

by Rory_writes



Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic, Raven Cycle - Maggie Stiefvater
Genre: Crossover, F/F, F/M, M/M, Multi, Other, aftg and trc, trc x aftg crossover
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-30
Updated: 2020-07-30
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:35:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,132
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25608982
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rory_writes/pseuds/Rory_writes
Summary: The Foxes breakdown in Henrietta during their traditional Spring Break trip, and Matt Boyd's uncle owns a mechanic shop (Boyd's) in town. Matt's uncle works on the Maserati and asks his old apprentice, Adam Parrish, to entertain the team for a couple of hours. Adam takes them to Monmouth Manufacturing.AKA: The AFTG and TRC crossover we all needed.Yes, Nicky's mouth gets him into trouble, as always.
Relationships: Allison Reynolds/Renee Walker (All For The Game), Blue x Henry x Gansey, Matt Boyd/Danielle "Dan" Wilds, Neil Josten/Andrew Minyard, Richard Gansey III/Blue Sargent, Ronan Lynch/Adam Parrish
Comments: 18
Kudos: 274





	The Foxes breakdown in Henrietta

**Author's Note:**

> Based on a prompt by @a-disaster person on Tumblr (@ramdom_fuckin_person on Instagram).
> 
> Mildly ooc, but nothing too extreme!

Neil tried not to laugh at the disgruntled look on Andrew’s face as he pulled the Maserati over, steam billowing out of the hood. Aaron and Nicky paused their mocking argument to moan and sigh, and even Kevin made a noise that could have been interest or disgust from where he sat between them. Andrew turned the car off and pushed his door open, sitting sideways and lighting a smoke. Matt pulled in behind the car and Neil climbed out to stretch as the upperclassmen spilled out of the truck to join Nicky, Aaron and Kevin on the curb.   
“What’s happened?” Matt asked. Andrew gestured dismissively at the front of the car and Matt went around, looking at Andrew with his hand hovering over the hood. Andrew wedged the cigarette between his lips and leant backwards into the car to pop the button and Matt lifted the hood to have a look, just releasing more steam. Aaron wrinkled his noise and stepped further away, closer to Matt’s safer-seeming truck. Nicky peered under Matt’s arm, but it was clear he didn’t have a clue on what the issue was. Renee wandered over and Neil wasn’t sure if he was surprised or not that she pointed at something and Matt nodded as if to confirm that was where the problem was. 

“Now what do we do?” Allison complained, leaning on Neil’s shoulder with her arm. Neil rested into her and shrugged with his other shoulder. 

“We’re not far out of Henrietta, my uncle’s mechanic shop isn’t far let me give him a call,” Matt offered, looking at Andrew who nodded in confirmation. Matt stepped away to make the call and Nicky, Renee and Aaron came closer to where Neil and Allison were stood in front of Andrew. 

“Matt’s uncle is really good with cars, he’s taught Matt a few things,” Dan said, smiling reassuringly. It had been her idea for the original nine foxes to go away for spring break, just like they had the past two years, even though the girls weren’t at Palmetto State anymore. Neil hoped the tradition would continue, even after Matt graduated at the end of the year, Andrew’s lot the year after although Neil was already uncomfortable thinking about it, it was the first tradition he’d ever really had. 

“I’m sure he is,” Neil said. Andrew stood from the car and went to the front to have a look at what Matt and Renee had seen and Neil wriggled out from under Allison to join him. He gently bumped his hip against Andrew who didn’t even sway and instead of looking into the engine bay, looked at Andrew. His face didn’t give anything away, but he pointed at something inside and Neil dragged his gaze away to follow his finger. Neil had no idea what he was looking at, but whatever it was, it was the cause for the steam. 

“It’s overheating because of that,” Andrew said, probably not using technical terms because he knew they would be wasted on Neil. 

“Okay?” 

“It won’t be expensive to fix, but once it’s towed it will take a few hours,” he mused. Neil wasn’t sure how he knew, but when he glanced up he saw Renee nodding in agreement, Allison now using her as her leaning post. 

“My uncle is on his way now, apparently his apprentice is bringing his car because we won’t all fit in either my truck, or the tow,” Matt said, joining the roadside congregation. 

“Who’s the apprentice?” Allison asked, tilting her head as if the idea of a mechanic’s apprentice interested her. 

“Yeah, and is he cute?” Nicky piped up, causing Aaron to roll his eyes and take a step away. Neil knew it wasn’t necessarily homophobia, but more irritation at his cousin’s brazenness, but Neil still wanted to shove Aaron for it. He didn’t, mainly because he knew it would upset Andrew if he did. 

“Some Ivy League kid who grew up here. Apparently he’s staying here for spring break to help out and see some friends or something, I’m not really sure, the reception is really shitty out here,” Matt answered. 

“How long will it take?” Allison asked. Dan let herself be embraced by Matt and leaned into his side as he answered and Neil liked how at home she looked, as if just being in his vicinity again was where she belonged. 

“Five minutes, the shop isn’t that far at all,” Matt answered. Andrew slammed the hood shut and sat on it cross-legged, his hand palm up on his knee in his silent invitation for Neil who interlaced their fingers. Neil made himself comfortable leaning against the side of the car with Andrew’s scarred, calloused, familiar hand in his own. 

“You didn’t tell me if he was cute, the apprentice,” Nicky said. Aaron shoved Nicky in the shoulder and Renee shook her head in quiet disapproval. 

“Couldn’t tell you, never met him,” Matt said. 

“How long do you think we’re going to be in the middle of nowhere?” Allison asked. Andrew’s gentle squeeze of Neil’s hand suggested he was glad someone had asked because he’d been wondering the same thing, but only Neil would get to know. 

“Not sure, a couple hours? It’s nearly noon so I say we find somewhere to stay tonight and then we can make good time tomorrow,” Matt suggested, running a hand through his spikes. Dan looked at Neil, the previous captain deferring the decision to the new captain, and Neil realised they were all looking at him, Aaron miraculously included. Neil straightened up and nodded his head. 

“Sounds good, is there a motel we can check into or something?” Neil asked. Allison pulled her phone out, glared at her screen, and climbed into the bed of Matt’s truck. Everyone gaped at her as she kicked her heels off and climbed onto the roof next, standing up tall and holding her phone up. 

“Ally, what the fuck?” Neil called up to her as she peered into the screen. Renee silently moved to stand next to the truck as if she alone would catch Allison if she fell to the side, but after a split second, Nicky went and stood on the other side in case she fell that way. 

“Matt wasn’t lying, the reception out here sucks!” She called down to the team of old and graduated. “Hold on, I’ve got some bars,” she added, clicking at her screen. After a pause, she climbed gracefully down and Renee, small and mighty as she was, lifted her out of the bed of the truck into the dirt. Renee kissed her gratefully on the cheek before coming back to the group at the front of the broken down Maserati. 

“I have booked us in for five rooms at the motel,” she explained. “Check in at four.” 

“What are we going to do for four and a half hours?” Nicky asked. 

“You’re going to embarrass yourself, and us, by flirting with the apprentice, and then Kevin and I are going to get very drunk to forget it,” Aaron decided. “And Andrew might try to stab you like he does every time you flirt with a new guy.” 

“Wha- nah!” Nicky cried, but he shot Andrew and Neil a side-eyed look before taking a step away from the pair. Neil knew that something was coming if Nicky was taking the precaution and braced himself. “Andrew isn’t going to be warning me off anyone, he’s already claimed,” he said. Andrew moved as if to slide from the hood of the car and go after his cousin so Neil subtly tightened his grip and held him back. 

“Andrew won’t stab you,” he said, “but try not to be obnoxious if you find him attractive.” Neil felt Andrew relax so he loosened his grip. Nicky stepped back into the loose ring of people. 

“Is the apprentice for sure a guy?” Renee asked quietly. Everyone, Neil included, shot her a suspicious look. Even Andrew raised his eyebrow in her direction, but she smiled sweetly in return. 

“Yeah, his name is Alex or Andy or something,” Matt answered.

“It better not be Andrew, we don’t need two,” Aaron said. Allison and Dan shared a wide-eyed look and Matt blinked like he was trying to make sense of a bad joke. Renee covered her smile behind her hand and Kevin looked as if he was considering smacking Aaron over the back of the head. Nicky burst out laughing and Neil giggled into Andrew’s shoulder. 

“The fuck did I say?” Aaron demanded.

“You dropkick,” Andrew said, rolling his eyes. 

“’We don’t need two’,” Nicky mocked, still laughing. 

“What?” Aaron demanded again. 

“We’re twins idiot,” Andrew said. “There’s already two of us.” It was as if Andrew’s words triggered the dam to break and all the foxes bubbled over into laughter. Kevin did smack Aaron in the back of the head, but it was good-natured, and Andrew hid his smirk in Neil’s hair. The laughter dissolved as a tow truck rumbled and rattled into view, followed by a multicoloured piece of shit car that parked behind Matt’s truck. 

“Hey!” Matt yelled, waving at the man behind the truck’s steering wheel. The tow stopped in front of Andrew’s car and the man hopped down, the same easy grin as Matt on his face. He was tall, his hair a little lighter in tone than Matt’s but you could see the family resemblance in the way they held themselves. The relatives embraced and then Mr. Boyd enveloped Dan in a squishing hug that made her laugh breathlessly. 

“Ah you kids!” He said, “what trouble have you got yourselves into?” 

“Like I said on the phone…” Matt trailed off as his uncle waved his hand. 

“I know, I heard,” he said. “You can call me Boyd, everyone else does. You must be the Foxes, I’ve heard and seen so much about you! Nice to finally meet you all in person,” he said. Neil nodded at him in greeting and Kevin smiled his winning press smile. Nicky stepped forward to shake his hand, followed by Renee and Aaron, who didn’t look happy about it, and Allison waved politely. 

“This is Andrew’s car, promise you’ll look after it?” Matt said, but it was obvious he trusted his uncle and was just asking for Andrew’s benefit. Andrew slid from the car, letting Neil’s hand go, and he threw his car keys in Boyd’s direction. Matt snatched them out of the air and deposited them in his uncle’s palm. 

“I will do my darndest to look after this beautiful beast,” Boyd promised. “Adam here, my best and only apprentice of sorts, will be keeping you lot entertained and staying out of my hair while I work on it,” he added, nodding his chin in the direction of the shit-heap car. Adam climbed out, the door squeaking as it opened and closed. 

“How come the Maserati breaks down, but that piece of shit gets to live?” Aaron asked quietly. 

“She’s had her fair share of issues, but Boyd and I have managed to fix her most of the time,” Adam answered. Aaron looked alarmed at being overheard, and Neil expected Nicky to tease him, but he was clearly interested in Adam. He was tall enough, maybe Nicky’s height, with coppery curls and a sharp jaw line. He looked kind, but something about him told Neil that he wasn’t someone to be messed with. He wasn’t someone to be underestimated. Judging by the way Andrew stood up taller, eyes narrowed, Neil knew he sensed it too. 

“Most of the time?” Kevin asked warily, eyeing the car. Adam shrugged with one shoulder, tugging on the grease stained grey V-neck he had on. 

“She’ll get us where we need to go,” Adam said, a soft lilt to his voice, a country drawl he clearly tried to hide. If Neil wasn’t careful, he’d pick up the accent by accident like he was prone to doing. During summer, which he had spent in Columbia with Andrew, he’d picked up the southern accent and it hadn’t gone away for nearly two months after they returned to campus. He hadn’t lived it down yet. 

“And you’d better get going,” Boyd said. “I’ll give you a call when she’s ready to be picked up, but I recommend staying in town tonight.” 

“Already covered,” Matt said, gesturing at Allison who brandished her phone like a weapon. Matt turned to Adam with a welcoming smile, “I’ll follow you then?” 

“Sure,” Adam agreed. “Who’s coming with me?” 

“The monsters,” Allison said sweetly. 

“That would be Andrew, Aaron, Kevin and me,” Neil said, stepping forward. 

“Neil, sweetheart, you know you’re not a monster,” Allison said, winking at him. 

“I want to ride with Adam,” Nicky complained. 

“If Nicky is riding with Adam, I’m riding with Matt,” Aaron said. Adam looked a little bewildered, but that didn’t stop Nicky from calling shotgun and climbing into the passenger seat. Aaron responded to that by climbing into the backseat of Matt’s cab. Boyd chuckled and went about lowering the bed of the tow truck for the Maserati. 

“Well, Adam, that’s Nicky and Aaron. I’m Matt, this is Dan, Allison and Renee,” Matt introduced. He used his chin to gesture at Neil and Andrew where they stood near Kevin, “and they are Kevin, Neil and Andrew.” 

“I know of Kevin, my dad watched exy while I was growing up. Ravens fan,” Adam said. “I don’t much care for sport, no offence, but I was still living at home when Neil joined the line so I kind of know of all of you. The drama and stuff, pissed my dad off a lot.” He touched his ear subconsciously and Neil knew that look. The move of the abused, so Neil had a feeling this father had taken his Raven crazed fan frustration out on his son, but Neil was a little glad he’d implied he was out of home now. 

“We’re not offended,” Renee said politely. 

“Speak for yourself,” Kevin grumbled, clearly a little offended that someone wouldn’t be interested in exy. Adam smiled and shrugged apologetically. 

“Come on, we should go before I realise how bad a plan this is,” Adam said, jiggling his keys. 

“Where are we going?” Kevin asked. 

“Monmouth,” Adam said, but he didn’t elaborate, and only smiled a little secretively when anyone prodded him. They split up between the cars, Neil between Kevin and Andrew who were both tense and unsure about this new adventure. Kevin was clearly put out by the mention of the Ravens, and Andrew didn’t like not knowing where they were going. Neil rested his head on Andrew’s shoulder and held his hand, listening to Nicky flirt relentlessly in the front seat. 

***

Even though the drive wasn’t a long one, he was grateful when Monmouth came into view. He hadn’t told anyone he was off work, or that he was bringing a mix of retired and current NCAA exy players with him, but he hadn’t really been sure how to tell them. 

“Where are we?” Neil asked, looking up at the hulking old factory. Adam smiled fondly at the building. 

“Monmouth Manufacturing,” he answered. “It’s where we’re staying while in town. My friends live here.” 

“In a factory?” Kevin asked, sounding like the pretentious famous person that he was. 

“Yes,” Adam confirmed. “You’ll see,” he added. The group of Foxes followed Adam in the front door and their steps rung on the metal stairs as they climbed to the second floor. The conversations behind Adam were hushed as everyone looked around, and with his damaged ear he couldn’t really make out any specific words, but he knew they wouldn’t have anything bad to say once they stepped into the lofty space that still served as Gansey’s home, one he mostly shared with Blue. Noah and Henry were around often too, but with Ronan at the Burrows and Adam either there or on campus, it was more Gansey’s and Blue’s space than it was the group’s. Still, Adam felt comfortable there, welcome despite everything, or maybe because of everything. 

“Here we are,” Adam said, preparing himself for a moment before pushing the door open into the lofty space. Gansey’s bed had since been put in Noah’s old room after it was thoroughly cleaned out, and huge bookcases had been installed against the walls. Even the fridge had been brought out and put haphazardly in the corner with a small countertop. The bookcases were well on their way to being filled, and the comfortable armchairs that had been purchased for the intention of snuggles and late-night talks were pride of place near the pool table. Gansey’s desk, as cluttered as always and housing a mint plant, was under the window near the window seat. Gansey was seated in one of the armchairs with Henry leaning on the back, looking at the book in Gansey’s lap, Noah was a shadow in the corner of the room, and Ronan was sitting in the window seat with one knee pulled up. Chainsaw was the first to react, squawking a little from Ronan’s shoulder. 

“Woah,” Matt breathed, taking in the room. 

“Cool!” Dan said, smiling at Adam’s group. Kevin was staring open-mouthed at the books, and Allison was peering down at her shoes as if she might have stepped in something, although it could have been the dust. Renee, at least Adam thought that was her name, was giving Noah a strange look. The twins and Neil looked curious and unsure, but they stood together to the side of the group like some safety in numbers thing. Nicky, god rest his soul if he flirted while Ronan was in the room, looked a little dumbfounded. 

“Hello Adam,” Gansey said, pushing his glasses up his nose to survey the group. 

“Hey, Boyd has tasked me with entertaining these guys and I didn’t really know what else to do…” Adam said, flashing him an apologetic smile.

“It’s hot up here,” Nicky said, and Adam made the mistake of looking over at him. Nicky dropped a wink in his direction and smiled slyly, “not as hot as you of course.” Ronan stood up so fast, Chainsaw launched herself into the air with a disgruntled cry before settling down on his shoulder again. Nicky looked panicked and took a step back, stepping on Kevin’s foot who shoved him. Adam caught Neil nudge the twin with the armbands and nod in Ronan’s direction as if to say I get it. Andrew, or was it Aaron, nodded twice in agreement. Adam swallowed his laugh and smiled at Ronan, giving a wink of his own. Ronan didn’t sit back down, but he didn’t stalk over and throw Nicky down the stairs either. 

“Are we going to pretend there isn’t a Raven on that guy’s shoulder?” Allison asked, pointing her manicured hand at Chainsaw. 

“Or that there isn’t a ghost in the corner?” Renee added, frowning at Noah who looked as if he was trying to melt away from her gaze. 

“Excuse me, what?” Kevin demanded. 

“Noah is harmless,” Gansey said evenly. “So is Chainsaw, mostly.” 

“Which one’s which?” Neil asked curiously, but he flicked a nervous look at Noah. 

“Chainsaw is Ronan’s bird,” Adam explained. “Gansey is wearing glasses, and this is Henry and Noah,” he added, gesturing at the remaining parties. The Foxes all stared at Neil as if he was the one in charge of making the decisions, although Adam supposed that was because he was the captain. 

“I’m Neil, this is Andrew, Aaron, Kevin and Nicky,” he said, pointing at the respective people. “Matt here is Boyd’s nephew, Dan his girlfriend and Allison and Renee… is Noah actually a, uh, ghost?” 

“Yes, he is,” Gansey said. “Welcome to my home. Our girlfriend, Blue, will be here shortly and she’s the last of our little group.” Henry nodded his confirmation and leaned down a little closer to Gansey. Adam crossed the room to Ronan, who hadn’t taken his warning glare off Nicky, and the moment he was within arm’s reach, Ronan snaked his hand around Adam’s waist and drew him in. Adam smiled as Ronan kissed his cheek and stroked Chainsaw in greeting. 

“Hey love,” Ronan murmured against Adam’s skin. Adam turned and kissed him quickly, sliding his hand into Ronan’s back pocket and keeping it there, even when he pulled his mouth away and nestled into Ronan’s side to face the Foxes again. 

“Nicky, keep your mouth shut I swear to fucking god, if you get stabbed by another scary gay guy for flirting with his boyfriend I will let you die,” Aaron said, his voice low and angry. Neil and Kevin grinned, and the other Foxes looked amused, albeit Andrew who looked bored and Nicky who looked a little embarrassed. 

“Who was the first?” Ronan asked. 

“Huh?” Nicky asked, not quite looking in his direction. 

“The first scary gay guy to stab you for flirting with his boyfriend?” Ronan said, a small smile on his face. Andrew, to Adam’s surprise, lifted his hand. Ronan grinned then and let go of Adam to cross the room. Andrew watched him approach and when Ronan lifted his hand out for Andrew, the smaller man regarded it for a moment before slapping it in a high five like Ronan wanted. “I like you,” Ronan decided. Andrew lowered his hand and slid it into Neil’s who had a look of bewildered happiness on his face. 

“Just like that? You like Andrew?” Matt asked, frowning. 

“Just like that,” Ronan agreed. Adam walked over and wrapped his arms around his boyfriend’s waist, propping his chin on his other shoulder to where Raven was perched. 

“It usually takes, um, a little longer for people to like Andrew,” Dan said. 

“I still don’t like him,” Allison offered helpfully. She had her arm around Renee in an embrace that was a little more than friendly, but Renee was still eyeing Noah, but she didn’t look quite so mean now. In fact, she looked more interested, and Noah was less a shadow and more corporeal. 

“Hey Noah,” Adam said and the boy looked over at him. “Renee’s hair is pretty cool don’t you think?” He asked. Noah looked shyly at the girl with silver hair, pastel tipped and cropped in a bob. He nodded slowly. 

“It’s pretty,” he said. Renee smiled then and inclined her head at him. 

“You can touch it if you want, if you can…” she said quietly. Noah approached slowly and everyone seemed to watch with bated breath as the ghostly boy patted down the soft locks of the smaller girl. Renee let out her breath slowly, as if not to startle him, and Allison seemed to be studying him from this new up close advantage. 

“You lot have taken the ghost thing fairly well,” Henry observed from the armchair. 

“A little thrown,” Neil admitted, “but it takes a lot to rock the group of us.” 

“It’s the trauma,” Nicky piped up cheerfully. 

“Nothing really surprises us anymore,” Kevin agreed. “Besides, I grew up in the Nest, Evermore, there’s been enough deaths there, I saw some stuff.” 

“You saw ghosts at Evermore?” Matt demanded. 

“You didn’t tell me?” Neil added. 

“Are you okay?” Nicky asked. Kevin shrugged at them before turning to face Gansey and Henry with what could pass for a nervous smile for someone so narcissistic. 

“Can I have a look at your books?” He asked. Gansey’s face broke into a warm grin, excited to share his passion with someone new, and nodded. 

“Hold on, did you say you grew up at Evermore? Like the stadium?” Henry asked. 

“Yeah, I’m Kevin Day. We’re Foxes, the Palmetto State exy team. Well, Dan, Allison and Renee are graduated, but they used to be,” Kevin said. Adam realised he’d forgotten to mention that. 

“Didn’t you guys like, get kidnapped or tortured or something? A few years ago?” Henry asked. Gansey reached up and put a placating hand on Henry’s arm, but he looked at the group expectantly. Adam didn’t miss the way they shuffled nervously and looked at Neil. He seemed to realise that, again, the task of talking had fallen to him and he sighed. 

“That was me, yes. Kidnapped, tortured, all that good stuff,” he confirmed, touching the warped circular burn under his eye. “Was a while ago, we are no longer safety threats to be around.” 

"Speak for yourself,” Allison said. 

“Your guard dog still bites,” Aaron added. Andrew moved faster than Adam could have expected, and a silver blade appeared as if by magic in his hand. Adam knew magic, so he knew it hadn’t been, but it was scarily close. 

“Woah,” Ronan said, sounding impressed, and Adam felt his boyfriend’s pulse jump with excitement. Aaron looked a little proud of himself for getting a reaction, but he stepped well and truly out of Andrew’s strike zone. That didn’t seem to matter though, Andrew seemed more interested in Ronan’s reaction. Neil too, looked intrigued as he tilted his head and looked at Ronan with renewed fascination. 

“You’re not scared of him?” Nicky asked, sounding, finally, like he wasn’t putting on a show. Dan reached out and put her hand on Nicky’s shoulder, but it was obvious she was thinking the same thing. Adam looked up at his boyfriend from his shoulder height vantage and saw Ronan’s lip curl up in a smile, a hint of his old savagery and a lot of his now familiar contentment. 

“I’m a foot taller,” Ronan pointed out, “and a pet raven who intervenes when I get attacked.” 

“When? Not if?” Andrew asked, maybe the first sentence he’d really uttered inside the building. Adam wasn’t surprised the Foxes had caught onto the word choice. 

“Shit happens,” Ronan replied with a shrug. He touched the cross on the chain around his neck absentmindedly and Adam kissed his shoulder before letting go. 

“It does,” Renee agreed, and when Adam looked at her she had her own fingers against her own cross. Kindred spirits; the damaged and the faithful. Adam had no doubt that Renee was as loyal and fierce as Ronan was, even though she was tinier and sweeter looking, she exuded the same energy that Ronan had when Adam had met him. 

“What kind of books do you like?” Gansey asked, diverting the conversation and bringing everyone out of the small moment of shared sorrow. Kevin stepped away from his team and Adam didn’t miss the embarrassed, nervous shuffle of his step. 

“Um, do you have any history books?” He asked. Nicky nudged Aaron as if they were teasing Kevin for his interests, something that didn’t fly in Monmouth Manufacturing, and Gansey made a thrilled sound. 

“Of course I do! History is one of my all time favourite things,” he said. Adam and Ronan knew what was coming next and they shared a secret smile. “Have you heard of Glendower? He was a king…” 

“Yeah I’ve heard of him! He disappeared, kidnapped wasn’t he?” Kevin interrupted. Gansey blinked twice, shocked to hear those words come out of a stranger’s mouth. Even after a few years, Gansey couldn’t let go of his interest in history and lost kings, and he always started with Glendower. Henry chuckled at the look on his boyfriend’s face and moved closer to Adam and Ronan and the Foxes. Kevin waltzed over excitedly as Gansey moseyed over to one of the overflowing bookcases. 

“We’ve lost Gansey for about three hours,” Henry said. Neil and Andrew were staring at Kevin with unreadable looks on their faces, but Neil nodded in agreement as if to say the same about their taller friend. 

“Do you want to play pool?” Noah asked, jolting half the team and Ronan. He was asking Renee who smiled and nodded her head, tugging Allison after her as she followed the wraith of a boy to the pool table. 

“Do you want to play too?” Neil asked Andrew who looked after Noah with a mildly wary expression and shook his head and fidgeted with a packet of cigarettes. 

“You can smoke out the window, just don’t burn the place down,” Henry told him. Andrew nodded and walked off without a word and Neil said thanks as he followed the blonde to the window seat. They sat facing each other at opposite ends of the seat and pushed open the windows nearest them to hold cigarettes out of. “Do you want to sit down?” Henry asked the remaining Foxes with a polite smile on his face. Ronan led the way and crashed down in an armchair, pulling Adam onto his legs and Chainsaw hopped up to Adam’s shoulder so she could be higher and see everyone. Adam stroked her feathers and took Ronan’s hand in his other. Henry sat down on a cushion on the floor, Dan and Matt settled comfortably on one armchair with Dan on the arm, and Neil and Aaron claimed the last remaining armchairs facing into the group.

“Wait you what?” Kevin half shouted from the opposite side of the loft. Adam looked over curiously, wondering where in the story Gansey was as he regaled Kevin, but they were whispering too closely together, a book held between them. 

“So, do you guys really live in a factory?” Matt asked.

“I technically still live with my aunt, this place is Gansey’s, but I stay here often enough,” Henry answered. 

“Sargent is here most nights too,” Ronan added. 

“It used to be a factory,” Adam explained. “It’s been Gansey’s home for years.” 

“Except for the short time the school owned it,” Ronan said. “He gave it to our principal so that I could graduate even though I never went to my classes or did any work.” 

“Why didn’t you?” Aaron asked, looking as if the idea made him feel seasick. 

“I didn’t need to go to school, I didn’t care about graduating, I had my plans and school wasn’t one of them,” Ronan replied. 

“So you aren’t at college?” Nicky asked. 

“Adam goes, he’s on a Harvard scholarship, but I stay home,” Ronan told them. 

“Do you work?” Dan asked, looking as if she really was trying to make sense of the strange group of boys she’d just met. 

“Yeah, technically. I inherited my family’s farm when my parents died and I keep it running. It’s home, it’s where I belong,” Ronan said. Adam smiled to himself, never not going to feel warm and safe when Ronan spoke about their life and home in that tone of voice. 

“You’re a farmer?” Neil called over from the window, sounding as surprised as the rest of his team looked. 

“Yeah, I am,” Ronan said with a grin, forever enjoying the chaos it brought when people found out that he was a scary looking gay Christian farmer. Adam had spent years of college trying to convince people his real, and it wasn’t until they met Ronan that they believed him. 

“Who’s looking after the farm while you’re here?” Nicky asked. 

“My brothers are there, for a little while, but it can take care of itself mostly,” Ronan said. Adam knew it was true, in a way, because of the preparations Ronan had dreamed up while he slept before they left. The Foxes didn’t even have time to try and understand what that meant because Neil made a startled noise from the window and RoboBee came careening into the room and into Henry’s hand. 

“Blue is coming up now,” he said after listening to his Bee for a moment. 

“Are you… talking to a bee?” Dan asked. Henry grinned at her. 

“Ghost boys playing pool with your ex goalie doesn’t rattle you, but a man talking to a bee does?” He teased. Dan, Matt, Nicky and Aaron all nodded their heads slowly, eyes wide. Adam smirked and Ronan shook his head, eyes flashing with amusement. Henry laughed and let RoboBee fly around the room, flashing his phone screen at the Foxes where the dreamt up machine’s messages were being relayed. “Don’t sweat, it’s just a machine. I get messages from it to my phone,” he explained. Again, technically true, but there was always more. There was always, always more when it came to the group. 

“Woah, wicked!” Nicky said. 

“How much did that cost you?” Matt asked after a low whistle. Henry shrugged his shoulders and pocketed his phone. 

“No idea, was a gift from my mom,” he said. The door opened behind Nicky and Aaron and Blue popped into the room, her face startled to see so many strange faces. She was dressed as eclectic as always and she smoothed her hair awkwardly as she surveyed the room. As always, she looked for her boys first, smiling at Henry and tilting her head in curiosity at Gansey who had his back turned to confer with Kevin. She shrugged and came into the room, Henry rising to his feet to greet her. 

“Hey Sargent!” Ronan said, accepting her rub of his head as she passed to embrace Henry. 

“Hey my love,” Henry said quietly. She kissed him quickly before turning in his arms to eye the group. 

“Sorry about the infestation,” Adam said. 

“Yeah, we have a pest problem,” Ronan added, gesturing at the Foxes in their close proximity. 

“Are Foxes a pest?” Nicky asked. Aaron rolled his eyes. 

“I’m Dan, this is Matt, Nicky and Aaron.” The ex-captain smiled warmly at Blue.

“Matt is Boyd’s nephew, he’s fixing one of their cars and I was asked to entertain and so I brought them here,” Adam explained. 

“Right, okay,” Blue said before glancing at the two girls playing with Noah, Kevin with Gansey, shoulder to shoulder and excitedly talking like their was no one else in the room, and the miscreant creatures on the window seat watching curiously. 

“Renee has pretty hair,” Noah said, patting Renee’s head like he does sometimes with Blue. 

“She does,” Blue agreed, smiling with genuine affection. 

“I’m Allison, and the rude asshole hogging your boyfriend is Kevin,” the blonde designer said. Blue laughed and looked back at Kevin and Gansey who had pulled back into the room from a time in history at Kevin’s name. 

“Oh, darling, you’re home!” Gansey said, coming over to kiss her cheek. Blue greeted him with the familiar look of love on her face, soft and whole, a look reserved only for Henry and Gansey. 

“Those two,” Nicky interrupted, gesturing at the window seat, “are Neil and Andrew, they’re Kevin’s boyfriends.” Andrew stood quickly, an impassive look on his face that was perhaps scarier than a look of rage, but Neil caught his wrist before he could pass. 

“We’re not,” Neil said, “and it’s nice to meet you Blue. Cool name.” 

“I see why Andrew stabbed you,” Ronan told Nicky. 

“Uh thanks,” Blue said to Neil, before turning a sceptical look on Ronan. “Did you say stabbed him?” 

“Yeah, I did. Andrew’s cool though, don’t worry,” Ronan explained. The Foxes made the collective weird noise again, the same strange look on their faces as Ronan said it, as if they couldn’t believe anyone would say that about Andrew. 

“We expect that shit from him,” Matt said, jerking his chin in Neil’s direction, “but not even those three are that quick to defend Andrew.” Kevin, Nicky and Aaron shrugged with looks on their faces that said they knew what Andrew was capable of. Adam was good at reading people, Ronan was better, and neither of them felt that Andrew was a threat. 

“Adam and Ronan trust him,” Gansey told her quietly, “so do I.” 

“And I trust him,” Henry said, touching Gansey’s shoulder. Blue examined the room one last time before shrugging and turning to the girls with Noah. 

“I’m versing the winner,” she said. Renee grinned at her and nodded, eyes flashing excitedly.

“You’re on,” she agreed. Noah picked up a pool cue, looking much more present with Blue in the room, and sunk a red ball into a pocket. The movement seemed to break the tension and Gansey turned back to Kevin, Blue drifted to the pool table, and Henry sat back down on his cushion, picking up the conversation on college. 

After nearly two hours, Neil and Andrew split up from the window, Neil wedging himself on the other arm of Matt’s chair and Andrew went over to where Gansey and Kevin were sprawled out on the floor talking about passages from a history text.

Adam wasn’t sure why, but he had a good feeling about the Foxes, about their presence in his family’s lives. He also had a feeling that no one else ever felt this safe or comfortable in the presence of the wayward team for the troubled and traumatised. Adam didn’t mind, they belonged, one way or another.

**Author's Note:**

> For more content!  
> My The Shadowhunter Chronicles Tumblr blog: tsc-living  
> MY AFTG Tumblr blog: andrew-is-foxy
> 
> I will post TSC, AFTG, Wolfstar and other content to AO3 though


End file.
